Carson National Forest
| Carson National Forest | |
|---|---|
|
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources) | |
|
Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Carson National Forest | |
  | |
| Location | New Mexico, USA |
| Nearest city | Taos, NM |
| Coordinates | 36°31′02″N 106°04′01″W / 36.517222°N 106.066944°WCoordinates: 36°31′02″N 106°04′01″W / 36.517222°N 106.066944°W |
| Area | 1,391,674 acres (5,631.90 km2)[1] |
| Established | July 1, 1908[2] |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| http://www.fs.usda.gov/carson/ | |
Carson National Forest is a national forest in northern New Mexico, United States. It encompasses 6,070 square kilometers (1.5 million acres) and is administered by the United States Forest Service. The Forest Service's "mixed use" policy allows for its use for recreation, grazing, and resource extraction.
Geography
Wheeler Peak, the highest mountain in New Mexico at 13,161 feet (4,011 m), is located in the National Forest.
The forest is located mainly in Rio Arriba (63.4% of acreage) and Taos (34.65%) counties, but smaller areas extend eastward into western Mora and Colfax counties.[3]
History
The forest was once inhabited by the Ancestral Pueblo (Anasazi) people, who left ruins of adobe dwellings and other artifacts at an archaeological site now called Pot Creek Cultural Site. Some areas of the forest were formerly lands granted to settlers by the Spanish monarchy and the Mexican government. After the Mexican-American War, the national forest was established, and was named for American pioneer Kit Carson.
Carson National Forest was established with the merger of Taos National Forest and part of Jemez National Forest on July 1, 1908.[4]
In 1967, the Alianza Federal de Mercedes, an organization dedicated to the restoration of Spanish and Mexican land grants, occupied Echo Amphitheater, an area of the forest in an attempt to recreate a historic land grant community. The occupants were evicted for overstaying camping permits. In 1982, the forest grew by 405 square kilometers (100,000 acres) when the Pennzoil corporation donated the Valle Vidal Unit to the American people.
Wilderness areas
Within the Carson National Forest are five designated and one proposed wilderness areas. Two of these are located mostly in neighboring Santa Fe National Forest (as indicated).
- Chama River Canyon Wilderness (mostly in Santa Fe NF)
- Columbine-Hondo Wilderness (proposed)
- Cruces Basin Wilderness
- Latir Peak Wilderness
- Pecos Wilderness (mostly in Santa Fe NF)
- Wheeler Peak Wilderness
Forest service
Forest headquarters are located in Taos, New Mexico. There are local ranger district offices in Bloomfield, Canjilon, El Rito, Penasco, Questa, and Tres Piedras.[3]
Gallery
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Fall colors near Tres Piedras, in the Carson National Forest
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Wood hauler along the Rio Pueblo, 1941. An average rural family here would use about 20 loads like this per year for fuel wood
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Pot Creek Cultural Site, in Carson Nation Forest, south of Taos
References
- ↑ "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- ↑ "The National Forests of the United States" (PDF). ForestHistory.org. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
- 1 2 USFS Ranger Districts by State
- ↑ Davis, Richard C. (September 29, 2005), National Forests of the United States (pdf), Forest History Society
External links
- Carson National Forest - US Forest Service